Never Been Successful

Hi, I'm new here, but I'm an old bandster! I was banded 3 1/2 years ago in Mexico. I was a VERY slow loser. Actually, I started out at 240 lbs and I have never been more than 50 lbs down. I am currently at 210 lbs. I found a very good fill doctor about 3 hours from home and went religiously for fills. I never found that "sweet spot" that everyone talked about. What I did find was lots of reflux, so much that I would wake up drowning! So I got a big unfill, let things settle down and then tried again. When I got back up to a good fill, bam, again the terrible reflux. Now, I am having surgery to fix a hiatal hernia. While he is in there, he may reposition or replace the band. I am hoping to start fresh and finally become a Success Story. I have spent a lot of time and a lot of money trying to use this tool to lose weight and I've been unsuccessful, which has really played on the old self esteem. I mean it's bad enough when you can't seem to diet and exercise it off, but to have surgery and STILL not lose the weight - you can't help but feel like a failure. Anyway, I am hoping for true success this time so that I will finally look on the outside how I feel on this inside! Thanks for listening. I would love to hear from anyone else who might have had a similar experience. Kelly

Hi Kelly!!! I don't have experience with the band, but I just wanted to lend you my support!! It sounds like you've really been working at this and I hope that this next surgery will get everything right for you so you can feel successful! Good Luck and keep us posted on how things are going for you!

Hi.. :::Sigh::: Some loss is better than none but yeah...to have to go thru surgery and not have a happy out come really is a such a bummer.  And Acid reflux totally sux!  I sure hope you get some relief....and get to that sweet spot your looking for!   Ya know I don't even have a clue what happened to my hiatal hernia??  I need to get a copy of my surgery report! All I know is that I have no more gerd and I am soooooo glad!  Good riddance! Much luck to you! Anita

You're not a failure by no means...we all know how hard it can be. You are courageous for trying to become healthier & happier. Just think...you have so much to look forward to. A fresh start ! Stay positive and good luck with your surgery !

If you were done before a certain time, the positioning of the band itself was done differently. Reflux is a clue that yours either was positioned the old way or has slipped.

Have you gone to anyone for UGI or scope to see exactly where your band is? And if it's not right, it eventually is likely to erode.

If YOU did everything you should, and had a good plan to follow (not much help if you adhered to a bad plan and didn't know it), then it's very possible your band was not placed well (according to today's stds) OR it has slipped.

I always look to mechanical failure FIRST, personally.

You are NOT a failure!!!  There could be many reasons that your tool has not worked the way it was intended.  Do not blame yourself.  You are trying to do what you should do and you couldn't help it if you had reflux....that must have been miserable!  So, do not kick yourself ok?   But do, get checked out..... Lorri

So sorry to hear you are struggling, there is a lady on the band board who has been struggling for almost a year with reflux etc... and thought removing the band was the answer.  She has been to several doctors and finally saw a doc that specilaized in "trouble" bands, anyhow they determined she had a hernia and fetl that was the cause of her problems with the band.  Her name is Alyssa, you should look her up.  Good Luck! Here is her post, she maybe able to share some info with you: http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/lapband/board_id,5359/cat_ id,4959/topic_id,3528847/a,messageboard/action,replies/#2769 6267

Don't blame yourself..the band has a VERY high failure rate, something like 3 out of 10 are successful....5 out of 10  completely fail.....so really don't think you didn't do well...you just had a lousy tool.   Instead of trying to reposition the band or whatever, consider getting a revision to another surgery...if you want a purely restrictive surgery there is the VSG, although honestly I think anyone getting needing a revision should consider a distal surgery ...like the DS.   There are several lap banders on the DS forum who are revisions from the band to the DS.  I'm not saying the DS is the right option for you, but it is something to research. Scott

One reason I didn't get the band was GERD. It's been gone since I had RNY. I think your issues will be fixed once you have the surgery. What are you having? Is it the Nissen Fundoplication? Or just tucking your upper stomach back into place and sewing up the tear where it was pushing up into your upper chest area?  I have read people who don't have a hiatal hernia still get reflux sometimes with their band. Maybe when he reposistions the band it will solve the problem for you.

Have you thought of having another proceedure, or you feel comfortable keeping the band and trying again with it?  I hope everything works out for you. wanting to lose weight and having a hard time doing it used to make me miserable.